Poached Pears

I think these pears are just beautiful and delicious and super easy. Everyone poaches pears differently, but I think it would be impossible for them not to turn out. The chocolate sauce is simple, 2tblsp butter, 4tblsp heavy cream, tblsp corn syrup, 1 & 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, and a pinch or two of cayenne pepper depending on how spicy you like it.

The fisrt cake

I never posted this cake, i think i tried to upload it once, it didn't work out and I forgot. But this is the carrot cake I made with cream cheese frosting. Like I said before, I hand made all of the plumerias out of fondant, gum paste, and petal dust, they are completely edible, but if you have ever tried dried out gum paste or fondant, it isn't very good. Previous posts show the flowers close up before they went on the cake, and other flowers I painted and experimented with.

Last But Never the Least

Blueberry pie eventually ala mode.
This was the first pie I ever made. I think that The crust turned out beautifully, although I wish the leaves in the center would have browned a little bit more. The filling was awesome. 4 cups of blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 2tbsp corn starch, 2tbls fresh lemon juice, zest of one lemon. The only thing I wish I would have done was baked crust before adding the pie filling. The bottom didn't taste completely done.

Table Setting: Super Simple

I love simple tables and decorated tables. Depends on the occasion and what you are eating. Last night I made an all american turkey dinner and pie. I love this table clothe. It is pretty, simple, and works for that Southern United States feel.

Italian fritters!

Homemade doughnuts! Super easy.

5tsp. active yeast
+1 cup warm water

let the yeast foam up - about five or six minutes

take 2 1/2 cups flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like them)
pinch of salt
zest of one lemon

mix dry ingredients together first into a little hill on a board.punch down middle of the mound and make a well with yeast and water and fork everything together.

after all the ingredients are mixed together energetically kneed for about ten minutes. You should be able to grab a small piece and stretch it until you can see light coming through it like a window but without breaking.

let it rise in an oiled bowl for about two hours (cover with plastic wrap)
punch it down and divide into eighteen pieces. roll them into little balls and then flatten them on a floured cookie sheet pan. THey should be about 1/2 inch thick. Let them rise for about 30-40 minutes depending on how warm it is inside (if it is cold it will take longer)

heat five cups of olive oil - or whatever you have to 350 degrees. Cook three at at time for about three minutes. 1 1/2 minutes on each side. let them cool for a few minutes and then dust with powdered sugar.

Super good served with espresso!

ALISHA'S BDAY CAKE

So the trick to a red velvet cake is the cocoa powder. I have seen some recipes that don't call for it, but just a couple of tablespoons goes a long ways and gives plenty of flavor. Also when I made this cake the batter looked magenta not dark red, fortunately when it baked it turned out like it was supposed to. Four layers is best. If you have a cake leveler cook two 9inch rounds and slice both in half to have a four layered cake. The cream cheese frosting is sooo easy and delicious, but make sure to use all of it! It looks like a lot, but use it all.

You will need
1lb cream cheese
1/3 cup butter
4tsp vanilla extract
4cups powder sugar

beat cream and butter until smooth, then add the extract (about) 2 minutes
slowly I stress slowly - sift powder sugar into mixture while the mixer is still on until all the powder sugar is evenly mixed in.